Claire gasped. Prison! “We can’t go to prison,” she said aloud, then turned and grabbed Jeffrey’s arm. “Jeffrey, we can’t go to prison.”

He pulled her to him, but she pulled away, panic knotted in her throat. “Gramps, how can they take us to prison? We aren’t soldiers!”

Gramps shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“What do we do?”

Jeffrey took her hands and held them tightly. “Look at me,” he said.

She turned her attention to his face, took a breath, and focused. She nodded. “What do we do?” she asked, this time with control.

“We stay together,” he said simply. “We stay together and we’ll figure a way out.”

She nodded again. “All right.”

She fell against him as the wagon started to move. A crash sounded behind them. Romeo woofed and looked as though he might bolt from the wagon.

Claire put a hand on his neck. “Hush boy, it’s alright.” Romeo sat back down and put his paws over his head.

Something caught Claire’s attention behind them and she turned.

Flames shot from the front window. As she watched, the flames took hold and began to devour the house. Jeffrey pulled her against him, her back to his chest, and held her close.

She was transfixed by the flames, watching as though the house belonged to someone else.

She glanced at Gramps. He, too, watched the flames, his expression blank. What would this do to him? He lived in that house since he and Granny got married and that must have been at least thirty years ago. All his possessions and all his memories were wrapped up in that house.

“Gramps?” she called.

He didn’t answer.

“He’ll be all right,” Jeffrey said into her ear, then he kissed her cheek.

“It isn’t right,” she said.

“No, it isn’t,” he agreed.

“Did you ever do that?” she asked.

“Did I ever do what?”

“Did you ever burn down someone’s home?”

He lowered his forehead to the back of her head. “No, Claire, I never burned down anyone’s home and I never would.”

As they traveled down the bumpy road, she watched the flames devour what was left of her home. She watched until they rounded a bend in the road and she could see only the black smoke billowing into the sky.  She could smell it now—the charred property.

Lowering her head, she saw the one possession she had left—Jane Eyre. She bent forward enough to retrieve the book and held it to her chest as she settled back in Jeffrey’s arms.

“I’m so sorry, Claire,” he said.

She closed her eyes. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered.

“I’m glad I’m here, too. I won’t leave you,” he assured her, pulling her closer.

They rode in silence for at least a couple of hours. Jeffrey holding Claire, Gramps staring into space, Jeremiah watching the soldiers and petting Romeo. Bobby driving the wagon, and Major Perkins riding alongside. Two other soldiers had accompanied them, but they had ridden ahead.

The sun warmed the air as mid-morning approached. Claire’s eyes grew heavy and she drifted into a fitful sleep.

The wagon rolled over a root and she was jarred awake. At first she didn’t know where she was. Why was she in a wagon? Then her eyes landed on Gramps’ blank face and it all came back to her in a rush. Their house was burned to the ground and they were prisoners of war.

It was then that it occurred to her. They were prisoners because they had aided and abetted Confederate soldiers. Of course. It all made sense.

She sighed. There was no going back. She wouldn’t do it any differently—except perhaps for the part that involved Colonel Bonaire. Where had he gotten off to anyway? She hadn’t seen him the entire morning. She twisted to see if Jeffrey was awake.

“Are you all right?” he asked, stroking her hair.

“Yes. Jeffrey?” she asked. “Did you see Colonel Bonaire?”

“I saw him first thing this morning before the attack. But not since then.”

“That seems a little odd,” she said. “You’d think he’d be the prisoner since he was the one in charge.”

“I agree,” Jeffrey said.

“I guess he’s one less thing we have to worry about now.”

“We have enough worries as it is,” Gramps said, jumping into their conversion.

“Gramps!” Claire said. “Are you all right?”

Gramps nodded and lowered his head. “I will be,” he said.

They rode in silence. What could she say to him? Besides, she’d lost her home too. They only home she’d ever known.

Major Perkins reined his horse alongside the wagon and addressed Bobby. “We’ll stop here for dinner,” he said.

Bobby stopped the wagon. Dinner? What would they eat?

Claire, Jeffrey, Gramps, and Jeremiah climbed out the wagon. Jeremiah lifted out Romeo who instantly took care of his business. When Claire stepped over the side, Jeffrey stood there to grab her by the waist and lift her down. She lifted her eyes to meet his gaze and for a brief moment, they were alone. As he smiled at her, her world brightened. Even as a prisoner in this insane war, she was with him. Gramps was safe. And they were all together.

Major Perkins rode ahead as Bobby pulled a haversack from the front of the wagon. He took out several pieces of… something which he distributed to everyone.

Claire turned what looked to be piece of petrified biscuit in her hand. It was about three inches long and half an inch thick. “What is this,” she whispered to Jeffrey.

“It’s hardtack.”

“What do we do with it?”

“You eat it.”

She sniffed it, but it had no scent. “Seriously?”

“I’m afraid so,” he said, putting his to his lips.

Claire bit her hardtack. It was like biting into a rock. “How?” she asked.

“You have to let it sort of melt in your mouth first.”

“You know,” she said, “this is disgusting.”

He shrugged. “It’s a lot better than what some of the Southerners are eating.”

Bobby sent around a canteen. “If anyone needs to use the outhouse,” he announced, “now is the time to do it.”

Claire rolled her eyes. Outhouse? Jeffrey held out his hand. “I’ll hold that for you.”

“Can’t wait to get it back,” she said, picking up her skirts and heading toward the trees.

We’ll get out of this, she repeated to herself as she searched for a secluded spot. It occurred to her that if she were alone in this predicament, this would be an opportune time to run. It would be a little more difficult for all of them to run unnoticed, but if they had a weapon, they could escape.

Minutes later, she joined her group as each took his turn in the trees.

Claire’s mind whirled as she sucked on the hardtack, finally getting a small enough bite broken off to chew.

Once they were back in the wagon, she sat next to Gramps. “Are you feeling ok?” she asked.

“I feel fine,” he said. “It’s not quite how I expected to spend my day, but it beats lying in the bed with sickness.”

Claire agreed. Not sure what else to say to him, she went back to Jeffrey. By now, it was beginning to feel natural for his arms to slip around her.

“We can escape,” she whispered in his ear.

“How do you propose that?”

“There are only two of them—actually only one right now, and there are four of us.”

“Jeremiah’s a boy, Gramps is an old man, I’m recovering from several gunshot wounds, and you’re a woman.”

“Thanks for noticing,” she said, “However, Bobby doesn’t look any older than Jeremiah.”

“I have a feeling Major Perkins isn’t far away.”

“We have to try,” she said.

He nodded. “Don’t worry. When the time is right, we’ll get out of here. We need for them to trust us first.”

She squinted her eyes at him. “I think you’re stalling.”

“Maybe I am,” he said, squeezing her close. “But I want to make darn sure that when we do attempt our escape, that it’s successful.”

Claire kissed his cheek. “All right.”

She settled back against him. She’d give him the first shot at getting them out of this mess. But in the meantime, she’d work on her own escape plan.

 

Jeffrey sighed with relief when Claire fell asleep, her head against his chest. He had attempted to sound reassuring, but truly, he couldn’t fathom why the three of them had been singled out for capture. He didn’t count Jeremiah in this because the boy had just sort of jumped in with them. Wherever Claire went, he was with her. Oddly enough, the boy didn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that she was obviously attached to Jeffrey. Perhaps he merely waited his turn.

He had been truthful when he described their ragtag group—a boy, an old man, a recovering gunshot victim, and a girl. They might be able to overpower Bobby and escape, but then what? Would they be chased down? They needed to find out why they had been captured. Then they would know how to deal with it.

It seemed they would be going to his home, Chene Ruelle, sooner than he had expected. And Gramps would be joining them. Of course, they couldn’t have left Gramps there alone anyway. Jeffrey needed to get word to his sister, Alexandra, so she could be prepared for his return—with guests, and possibly even a wife.

And, there was the minor detail of telling Claire that he was not a Yankee. The longer he failed to tell her, the more anxious he became about it. She would be upset with him for misleading her. He didn’t want her upset with him.

He gazed down at Claire’s face, peacefully asleep against his chest. His heart swelled with love. He loved everything about her—her soft skin, her long silky hair, her full lashes, her lush pink lips, her determination, her warmth. Indeed, the list never ended.

He prayed he wasn’t the cause of their capture, but he was thankful that he was with her. He would lay down his life to keep her safe.

 

The afternoon dragged on. Claire struggled with a strange combination of emotions—homesickness from the loss of her home, anxiety about what would happen to them, and contentment to be in Jeffrey’s arms.

Even now, with the swaying of the wagon lulling her into a fitful slumber, she cherished the feel of Jeffrey against her back. Now and then he would tilt his head forward and kiss her temple.

It was all so new. They hadn’t discussed their future, of course. They barely had gotten into a present. Nonetheless, as she grew more attached to him by the minute, she would do what she could to make sure they stayed together.

If staying with him meant going up north, then so be it. Naturally, she’d never been up north, but from what she’d read, it was cold – almost all the time. She would miss the warmth of Louisiana, but she would adapt. And she would make sure Gramps did as well.  After all, it wasn’t where you lived, it was who you were with. So, yes, she steeled herself to travel up north—wherever that may be.

She was jarred out of her reverie at the sound of a horse approaching. Major Perkins rode up to the wagon, a slain deer tied behind him.

What an image to wake up to.

“We’ll stop here for the night,” Major Perkins told Bobby.

“Where do you think we’re going?” Claire asked Jeffrey.

“I don’t know,” he said, glancing at the setting sun. “Looks like we’re heading north.”

“Do you think we’re still in Louisiana?”

He smiled. “I think so.”

“I’ve never traveled this far.”

“It’s a big country,” he commented.

“Everyone out,” Bobby ordered.

As they all climbed out of the wagon, Bobby retrieved the deer and proceeded to hang it from a tree limb. Claire walked a little further than necessary to find a private area. Romeo dashed past her, heading deeper into the woods. Please don’t get lost, Romeo.

Why don’t we just walk away? It was the thought that wouldn’t leave her mind. She’d read in the newspapers Henry O’Donnell brought her that when a soldier was captured, it was expected that they would not try to escape. It was the honorable thing to do. No one really wanted to know what she thought of honor at the moment.

When she came back to the road, Gramps, Jeffrey, and Jeremiah were sitting on a couple of logs they had located and slid over to make room for her.

Bobby had the deer tied up. “You,” he said, pointing to Claire. “Skin the deer so we can have supper.”

Claire’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Yes,” he said, holding out a knife to her.

She eyed the knife speculatively, then lifted her gaze back to his. Her chin inched up a notch. “No,” she said.

“Excuse me?”

She folded her arms and dug in her heals. “No, I won’t do it. I’m a prisoner, not a servant.”

“You’re a prisoner and you’ll do as I say.” He took her by the arm and pulled her toward the hanging deer.

“Hey,” Jeffrey called, jumping to his feet. “You will not touch her.”

Bobby turned, but didn’t release her. “You are also a prisoner, so you have no say with what I do.”

Jeffrey took a step forward. “Release her,” he said.

They stared at each other for two seconds, three. Bobby released her and brandished the knife in the air in front of him. He took a step toward Jeffrey. “I don’t think you understand your role here.”

“No,” Jeffrey answered. “I don’t. Why don’t you explain to me why you’ve taken us as prisoners? Why you captured a harmless old man and an innocent woman.”

“That’s the beauty of being the captor. I don’t have to explain anything to you.”

“Is that so?” Jeffrey took another step forward. The space between the two men was closing rapidly.

“Jeffrey, no!” Claire cried, running to stand next to him and clinging to his arm.

You’re unarmed,” she pointed out.

“Very well,” Bobby declared. “In this case, there will be no supper. You will eat the hardtack I gave you earlier.”

“You can’t starve us,” Claire said.

“I can do whatever I please.”

“You’re a cad.”

Major Perkins rode up to the group and everyone stood in silence. “What is going on here?” he demanded.

“There will be no supper,” Bobby informed him.

“And why not? There’s a perfectly good deer just waiting to be skinned.”

“Exactly. The girl won’t skin it.”

Major Perkins turned and looked at her. She raised her chin and set her jaw. “Very well,” he said. “let one of the other ones do it.”

“They’re being stubborn,” Bobby said, petulance coming through in his voice.

“If you can’t get them to do it,” Major Perkins said, “you’ll just have to do it yourself.” With that, he dismounted and walked his horse a few feet aside and tethered him.

Bobby put his hands on his hips. “You,” he said, pointing the knife at Jeremiah. “Do you want to eat tonight?”

Jeremiah glanced at Claire, then turned his eyes back on Bobby. “You can’t starve us,” he said, taking the knife from Bobby. The knife in his hand, he looked again to Claire. Within minutes he began preparing the deer meat for cooking.

Bobby built a fire, not looking to his prisoners anymore. Major Perkins brushed his horse.

Claire, Gramps, and Jeffrey sat back on their logs.

“You mustn’t do that again,” Gramps said.

“Why not,” she asked. “I’m not his servant.”

“It’s better not to have his attention on you.”

“He’s right,” Jeffrey said, before she could respond. “I would have helped you.”

“It’s not right,” she insisted.

“No, it isn’t. But it’s war. And we don’t want his hostility on you.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be,” Jeffrey said. “I just don’t want him to hurt you.”

Her eyes widened and she looked to Gramps.

“You never know, Kitten,” he said.

“Why do you think Jeremiah’s doing it?” Jeffrey asked. “He’s doing it for two reasons. One so you can eat. And two, to have the attention off of you.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, a lump in her throat. Turning her head, she noticed Bobby hunched in front of his fire, his face brooding, and looking in her direction.

Oh bother. The lump in her throat turned to fear. She’d gotten away from the attention of Colonel Bonaire and now Bobby was focused on her. How did she get into these things anyway?

“I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid,” Jeffrey said, watching Jeremiah as he wiped the knife on his breeches and slipped it into his boot.

“We need to get away from here,” Gramps said.

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Claire said.

Major Perkins stopped brushing his horse and turned his attention on her.

“Sorry,” she whispered. No one spoke for the few seconds before Perkins resumed his work.

“We need more information first,” Jeffrey said. “And besides, we don’t have any money.”

Claire and Gramps looked at each other. Claire nodded.

“What did I miss?” Jeffrey asked.

“If we could get back to our house, we might have some money,” Gramps said.

Jeffrey shook his head. “It was burned to the ground.”

“It was hidden,” Claire whispered.

“I don’t think so,” Jeffrey insisted.

“All we have to do is go look,” Claire persisted.

“It’s a full day’s ride from here.”

Claire shrugged.

Jeremiah stopped by Bobby’s fire, dropped off a hunk of meat, and joined them at the logs. “We have food now,” he said.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Claire said.

Jeremiah sighed. “Someone had to do it.”

“Bobby should have,” Claire said.

“Maybe so,” Jeremiah whispered, with a glint in his eyes. “But now I have a knife.”

Claire lowered her face and covered her eyes with her hands. Men. What good was a knife going to do? Taking a deep breath, she looked back up at Jeremiah. “It was a very brave thing you did,” she said. “Thank you.”

Jeremiah beamed. “You’re welcome.”

She heard Jeffrey, sitting next to her, groan.

Major Perkins completed his horse grooming and came to stand before them. He studied each of them.

“Why have you taken us?” Gramps asked.

“I had orders to do so,” Perkins said, rapping his riding crop against his leg.

“Orders? Orders from who?” Jeffrey asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Perkins said.

“Where are you taking us?” Claire asked.

“Alton Prison.”

“Where is that?”

“Illinois.”

Claire gasped. He was taking them up north. “But why?”

“You played a pivotal role in aiding and abetting the enemy.”

“They weren’t our enemy,” Claire pointed out.

Perkins tilted his head and seemed to consider her. Then, ignoring her comment, he shifted his gaze to Gramps. “I regret the loss of your home,” he said. “However, it had to be destroyed.”

With that, he turned on his heel. Then he paused and turned back. “You,” he said, pointing to Claire. “You’ll sleep in the wagon. The rest of you will sleep on the ground.” He turned again and walked back to his horse.

“You can’t sleep on the ground,” she said.

“It looks like we will.”

“There’s no one guarding us,” Claire pointed out. “Let’s just go.”

Jeffrey shook his head, glancing toward Bobby, brooding over the roasting venison. “We wouldn’t get anywhere.”

“He’s right,” Gramps said.

Claire adjusted her skirts and sat in silence. Her stomach growled.

They would be prisoners then. Could women be prisoners? Would she be separated from the men? She looked at Gramps. He sat hunched on the log. His hair seemed grayer. When had that happened? His eyes were downcast. He would die in prison. Even the thought of him sleeping on the hard ground was more than she could bear.

Perhaps after they slept, in the light of morning, the men would be more open to escaping.

A few minutes later, Bobby brought a spit of meat to them, holding it out to them, one by one to tear off a chunk. He held it out to Claire last and glared at her as she tore off a chunk of the venison. Deer meat was not her favorite, but right now, anything would have been welcome in her starving stomach. She’d had no breakfast, then only a couple bites of petrified biscuit for dinner.

They ate in silence, sharing a flask of water. The sunlight settled into the trees, its misty brightness belying the horrors of war beneath the skies.

The four of them spoke only in whispers. Bobby had eaten, also, sitting apart from them. Perkins had also taken his chunk of meat off to eat out of their eyesight.

Jeffrey took her hand in his and they sat in silence for about an hour, their hands entwined, their shoulders touching. Darkness settled in and blanketed them. Romeo, who hadn’t been seen since they disembarked from the wagon, showed up and was greeted with relief by the foursome.

Major Perkins reappeared from wherever he had been, spoke in hushed tones to Bobby, and left again.

Bobby approached the little group and glared at Claire. “You have to sleep in the wagon,” he said.

“Why do you care where I sleep?”

“I don’t care, but Major Perkins gave you the order.”

“I don’t take orders from Major Perkins,” she answered.

“Claire,” Gramps hissed, shaking his head quickly. “Don’t.”

Sighing, she began to stand. Jeffrey jumped up and helped her to her feet. Together they began walking to the wagon.

“You stay,” Bobby demanded.

Jeffrey took a step back and held up his hands, palms up. “Just gonna help the lady into the wagon,” he said.

Bobby glared at them, but did so in silence.

As he lifted her by the waist into the wagon, he whispered in her ear, “I’ll come visit you later, when he’s asleep.”

“I’ll be here,” she said.

Claire sat in the wagon and peered over the edge, watching Gramps, Jeffrey, and Jeremiah. She could hear their voices, but could only catch snippets of words now and then. She sighed.

It seemed she was stuck here alone in this wagon while they were forced to sleep on the ground. The wagon was no feather bed and she had no blanket, but this had to be better than trying to fall asleep on the ground. Besides, what if there were snakes? She shuddered. No, it would be impossible to sleep on the bare ground.

Exhausted, she lay back on the unyielding wood, her back against the side of the wagon, and stared up at the stars. How could there be so many of them, so bright, and so far away? She could see a glimmer of the moon through the treetops. It, too, seemed, calm and bright. Its end tipped down. She wondered if it would rain tonight, as the saying went.

She shivered. As they traveled north, it would grow colder at night. They had no blankets, nothing at all for warmth.

If they could escape, would they be able to find their way home? She should have been watching their route instead of sleeping. From here on out, she vowed silently, she would watch for landmarks and the direction they traveled. Even if it took some time, they would be going home.

Unless, of course… she bit her lip. If Jeffrey lived up north, it would make more sense to just go with him. They had no reason to come back this way. The money in the fireplace was Confederate money. It wouldn’t be worth the effort to come all the way back for it. Especially if they would be living up north where it wouldn’t be accepted. She sighed. Why did it have to be so complicated? Surely Jeffrey would take care of them. Or perhaps they could find jobs of some sort. She could sew and cook and clean…

For the first time that day, she felt the tears start to fall from her eyes. Their situation was dire. Truly, she didn’t know how they would get out of it. She and Gramps couldn’t rely on Jeffrey, at least not for long. Sure, they had taken care of him… after they shot him. But for any length of time, they mustn’t rely on him.

Besides, he hadn’t asked her to marry him. And did she want to? She barely knew him. Didn’t know where he came from. What he was capable of. Did he have any skills? Could he support her and Gramps and any children?

She took a steadying breath. He set her body on fire. He was kind. He was dependable. He was handsome. That was all she had to go on right now. Until she knew more, she had to make tentative plans for her and Gramps to make it on their own.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, and her body shivering from the night air, she fell asleep. And the nightmares came.

She was running through the fog, briars scratching at her flesh. The fog blinded her and burned her eyes. Her feet tangled in the briars.

She fell against the hard ground. A gun exploded.

She screamed.

And screamed.

But no one came.

Then he was there. She clung to Jeffrey, her face pressed against his chest, her fists tangled in his shirt. The tears became sobs.

“Shh,” he whispered. “I’m here. It was just a dream. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
She clung tighter. He gently stroked her back, her head, her hair. He kissed her face, her eyes, her mouth. “Don’t cry,” he said, kissing the tears that fell from her cheeks.

When she’d cried everything out, she swiped at her eyes with the back of her eyes. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“I heard you scream.”

“It was out loud?”

He laughed. “No one heard you but me.”

“How is that?”

He ran his fingers along her chin. “I care about you.”

Her lips trembled and tears seeped from her eyes again.

“Oh now, here,” he pulled her close and tucked her head under his chin. “That’s a good thing.”

“I know,” she said with a sniffle.

Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped her cheeks and held it to her nose to blow.

Halfway through blowing her nose, she giggled.

“What? You never blew your nose in man’s handkerchief before?”

“No. Have you?”

“Never, but I held a handkerchief to my sister’s nose often enough.”

“You have a sister?”

“A twin, actually.”

“Tell me about her.”

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes. “Her name is Alexandra. She can ride as well as I can – which is pretty good, by the way.”

Claire smiled.

“She can treat a sniffle or a broken arm.”

“She’s a doctor?”

“Not exactly, just trained in the art of healing. Anyway, she can paint and draw beautifully. Someday, I’ll wager, it’ll serve her well. She’s good at reading and math—better than I am actually, but don’t tell her that.

“She’s beautiful, too. And everyone adores her.”

“You really love her.”

“I do.” She could hear the wistfulness in his voice. “She’s safely at home right now with our Grandfather, taking care of the… house.” He lifted his eyes and stared into the darkness. “She doesn’t know if I’m dead or alive. I have to let her know.”

“You didn’t write her?”

“No, not in some time.”

“You have to write her.”

He nodded. “At the first opportunity.”

They sat there and held each other. A coyote howled in the distance.

“Want to tell me about your dream?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Are they asleep?”

“I don’t think Bobby’s supposed to be asleep, but he drifted off some time ago.”

“We should leave,” she said, snuggling deeper against him.

“Indeed,” he agreed.

He lifted her chin and placed his lips on hers.

She sighed.

How could anything be better than this?

And he cared for her.

He began to move his lips and parted her lips with his tongue. She sank into the kiss and the world faded away.

Several minutes later, they lay entwined in each other’s arms. He moved his kisses to her cheek, and whispered, “I don’t want to ever be apart from you again.”

“Never,” she murmured.

“No, I mean it. I want us to be together.”

“All right.”

He chuckled and kissed her on the lips again.

Bobby woke and stirred. At first, the sounds didn’t register with Claire, but when it did, she gasped.

They both grew still and he pulled her tighter to him. Even in the moonlight, she saw determination in his clenched jaw.

“We can’t let him find you here,” she breathed.

“He won’t.”

“You have to go.

He groaned, but peeked through the boards of the wagon side. Claire shifted to see what he was looking at. Bobby looked out toward the woods.

Jeffrey kissed her soundly on the lips, silently moved to the opposite side of the wagon and jumped over. A few seconds later, he came around the side of the wagon and headed back to his sleeping area.

Bobby lifted his musket. “Where were you?” he demanded.

“I had to relieve myself.”

“Humph.” Bobby lowered his weapon. “Next time you need to ask me.”

“You were asleep.”

“I was on guard. I wasn’t asleep.”

“I see. Well, good night,” Jeffrey said as he lay down and turned his back to the soldier.

 

The next morning, they were all moving a bit stiffly. None of them were used to the unforgiving hardness of the ground. Even Claire who had slept in the wagon fared no better.

Jeffrey tamped down his foul mood. Their breakfast consisted of cold venison to go along with their hardtack. They ate in silence. This was no way for an old man to spend his twilight years. Nor was it any way for a beautiful woman to be treated.

Jeffrey resented every moment wasted that he could be with Claire. After seeing her in distress last night, his patience with their situation waned.

As Bobby broke camp, the four of them sat, looking at each other. Major Perkins had yet to be seen this morning.

“Do you still have that knife?” Jeffrey whispered to Jeremiah.

“I do,” Jeremiah answered.

Jeffrey nodded once.

“Time to use it?” Jeremiah asked, leaning forward and bubbling with anticipation.

“No,” Jeffrey said. “Just hold on to it.”

“Don’t you worry.” He patted his boot. “Got it right here.”

“Yeah, well, try not to announce it,” Jeffrey said, with a glance toward Bobby. The soldier was packing up his gear, a perpetual scowl plastered on his face.

Claire had dark smudges under her eyes, doubtless from lack of sleep and proper nutrition. Seeing him watching her, she met his eyes and smiled. Some of the spark had disappeared from her eyes. More than anything, that made him want to rip somebody apart. Any somebody in a blue uniform would do.

He scooted over to close the gap between them. “When I say the word,” he whispered, “we’re gonna run for it.”

“Really?” Her face brightened, then sobered. “But you don’t know anything about why we were taken.”

“I’m not sure we ever will. And I’m starting to agree with you that it doesn’t matter anyway. We just need to get away from here. We can’t go to prison,” he looked pointedly at Gramps.

Gramps had his head down on his hands again.

“He wouldn’t survive,” Claire stated.

“I agree. And,” he squeezed her hand, “although you may think differently, you might not survive prison either.”

She nodded. “You’re right. Just one night in the wilderness and I feel trod upon.”

He pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad I’m with you.”

“Me, too.”

“Alright, love birds,” Bobby called out to them. “It’s time for you all to get back in the wagon to get going.”

Claire went to Gramps and steadied him as he stood. Jeremiah picked up Romeo and dumped him in the wagon. Jeffrey grabbed Claire by the waist and swung her up.

Jeffrey leaned over and whispered to Gramps. “When I say the word, we’ll run for it.”

Gramps grunted concomitantly, but nodded his head.

A few minutes after they settled in the wagon, Gramps bent over and whispered something to Jeremiah.

Jeffrey’s mind whirled. They hadn’t seen Major Perkins all morning. He was the wild card in this situation. If he showed up at the last minute, there would be trouble. They had to play it safe.

 

Claire winced as the wagon began rolling over the bumpy road that was little more than a trail replete with rocks and roots. Her backside was tender from yesterday’s travels. Maybe she should get out and walk.

She contemplated that option as the wagon bumped along. It would be good to stretch her legs and… they could wander off a lot less noticed.

“Ask him if we can walk,” she said to Jeffrey, over the din of the wagon.

“Why do you want to walk?”

A blush crept up her neck and splattered onto her face. “This is a little… uncomfortable.”

Jeffrey nodded, seeming to understand. “You can sit on my lap.”

Her face heated and she lowered her eyes.

He squeezed her hand and she looked back up to meet his gaze. His lips tilted at the corners and he winked.

Her eyes widened and tingles skittered along her spine. She glanced at Gramps, but he stared out at the passing woods, seemingly in his own world. Jeremiah seemed intent on scratching Romeo’s ears.

Jeffrey stretched over and tapped the seat behind Bobby. “We need to stop,” he said.

Bobby looked over his shoulder. “Stop for what? We’ve only been gone ten minutes.”

“I don’t know, man. It’s a woman thing.”

Bobby didn’t stop immediately. After a few seconds, he cursed under his breath, but stopped the wagon.

“You’d think he had an appointment,” Claire said, as Jeffrey helped her from the wagon.

Gramps climbed out behind them, then Jeremiah.

“What the Hell? I thought it was a woman thing,” Bobby said, noticing that all his prisoners had gotten off the wagon.

Claire spotted a clump of brush and headed toward it.

“I’m gonna walk,” Gramps declared. “My back is killing me.”

Claire smiled. It was all coming together.

She waited a few minutes, then rejoined the group.

“Let’s go,” Bobby said.

“I’m gonna walk too,” Claire stated, and began to walk ahead.

Jeremiah fell into step behind her, then Jeffrey, then Gramps.

Bobby’s grumbling grew louder, but he had no choice but to follow them in the wagon.

As he passed them, the wheels kicked up dust and Claire coughed. The wagon was ahead of them now, and they walked in its dust.

Bobby seemed, for the moment, to have let his guard down. They had caught him off-guard by all getting out of the wagon and walking.

Claire stopped and turned back to the men as they caught up. Jeffrey was sprinting toward her. He took her hand.

“Now!”

The four of them dashed off the road into the trees, heading southwest.

Claire no longer heard the wagon. Her blood pounded in her ears and brambles snagged at her dress, ripping it. She concentrated on keeping a grip on his hand and not falling down.

A few more feet and fear struck at her heart. “Romeo!” She dug in her heels until Jeffrey stopped. “We left Romeo in the wagon,” she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

“I’ll get him,” Jeremiah said, almost slamming into her.

“Wait,” Jeffrey said, but Jeremiah had already turned and was running back the way they had come.

“Poor Romeo,” Claire said, tears welling in her eyes. “How could we have forgotten him? Bobby will kill him.”

“I don’t think he’ll kill him,” Jeffrey said, but without conviction.

“He’ll kill Jeremiah, too,” Gramps said. Jeffrey and Claire stared at him in silence. Gramps shrugged. “I think he’d kill any of us if given half a chance.”

“Indeed,” Jeffrey agreed.

“Well,” Claire said, blowing her hair out of her eyes. “We have to wait for him.”

“That’s not the best idea.”

“We have to.”

They stood looking at each other.

“We need to go back for them,” Claire said.

Gramps and Jeffrey shook their heads in unison. “He might need our help,” she insisted, and headed back toward Jeremiah.

They grumbled, but they followed. Except for the sounds of their feet crunching over leaves and sticks, the silence was deafening.

Claire glanced over her shoulder. The men followed in silence now. It disturbed her a little that they didn’t protest.

They’d been walking for about ten minutes. Since they’d been running on the way out, she wasn’t sure how far they’d come.

She froze at the sounds of something crashing through the brush towards them. It was Romeo!

“Romeo,” she called, and bent down to greet her dog. Romeo, however, kept running, ignoring her outstretched arms. “What?”

Then she heard the commotion that Romeo ran from. It sounded like a whole heard of elephants rushed toward them.

Jeffrey grabbed her hand. And ran in the opposite direction from the commotion, pulling her behind him.

They veered east, climbing over a fallen log. Gramps heaved behind them, breathing labored. They lay flat on their stomachs, not moving. Waiting.

Then they saw. Jeremiah hobbled ahead, dragging his right leg. The Yankees marched behind, even moving at an unhurried gait, they gained on him.

Please don’t let them see us.

A gunshot fired. Claire screamed. Jeremiah arched his back unnaturally, then fell to the ground.

Jeffrey pulled her to him, cradling her head against his chest. She couldn’t see. She didn’t want to see. She couldn’t breathe.

Dear God, please let Jeremiah be ok. Please don’t let the Yankees see us.

Seconds passed and the enemy turned, marching in the opposite direction, their mission accomplished.

Neither Claire, nor Jeffrey, nor Gramps moved a muscle.

Jeffrey lifted his head to peer over the log. “We’re clear,” he announced. “We need to go.” He scrambled to his feet, taking Claire by the hand and pulling her with him. He then turned to Gramps and held out a hand.

“Thank you,” Gramps acknowledged, allowing the younger man to help him to his feet.

“Jeremiah,” Claire said.

“I’m sorry,” Jeffrey said. “If we take the time to help him… or bury him, they’ll be on us like fleas.”

“We can’t just leave him,” Claire said, pain welling in her neck, tears spilling from her eyes, as she stared at Jeremiah’s still body.

“Claire,” Jeffrey said, taking her by the arms. “Look at me.” He shook her, once, just to get her attention. Her eyes lifted to his. Her lips trembled. “Claire. We have to take Gramps and get as far from here as we can, as quickly as we can. If we don’t, we go to a Yankee prison—or worse. Gramps will not survive that.”

Claire’s eyes widened. He’d never spoken that way to her before. Or looked that serious.

“Do you understand?”

She nodded.

“Do you trust me?”

Did she?

“Do you?” he asked again.

Her eyes met his. Locked. And she knew, that yes, she did, trust him. “I do,” she said. And meant it.

“Can you make it?” Jeffrey asked, turning to Gramps.

“No choice.”

With one last look at Jeremiah’s still form stretched on the ground, they were off and running. This time, they zigzagged through the trees.

Jeffrey ran in front of her, pulling her along. Gramps wheezed behind her. Romeo would find them. He just had to. No thoughts of Jeremiah were allowed.

Her feet ached and her legs burned. The discomfort of her backside from the bouncing wagon would be welcome now.

Poor Jeremiah. He had cared so much for her. And he had died saving her dog. It was too much to bear.

Gramps’ wheezing stopped. Claire dug in her heels and pulled her hand from Jeffrey’s. “Wait.”

She rushed the few feet back to where Gramps kneeled on the ground.

“We have to stop,” she said, sensing Jeffrey standing next to her.

“No,” Gramps whispered, “I just need to rest a moment.”

“You’re right,” Jeffrey agreed, surveying the area around them. “We’re sufficiently lost anyway.”

“We’re lost?” Claire glanced up at Jeffrey, then put her hand on Gramps’ forehead.

“We need water.”

Jeffrey blew out a breath. “We need a lot of things.”

“What are we going to do?” she asked, mostly to herself.

“I can move, just a little more slowly.”

The ragtag group trudged southward, keeping a slow, but steady pace. They had no water. No food. No weapon. They were at the mercy of not only the Union army, but the elements, and time itself. Without water, they would dehydrate within days.

Maybe sooner, at this rate, Claire thought, lifting her gaze to the sun’s glare.

Coming to a clearing, they all three wordlessly plopped onto the ground.

“How much further?” Claire asked.

Gramps and Jeffrey both looked at her blankly for a moment, then both burst into laughter.

“I guess that depends on where we’re headed,” Jeffrey said.

“I thought you’d have an idea.”

“I think,” Jeffrey began, looking around him, “we should have planned this out a little better.”

“There wasn’t time,” Gramps said.

Jeffrey shook his head, “Nonetheless, we should have planned it so as not to get ourselves in this mess.”

“We’ll get ourselves out of it,” Claire insisted, getting to her feet. “We’ll keep walking until we come to something.”

“It could be days,” Gramps said.

“I doubt it. It’s not like we live in an uncivilized country.”

“You’d be surprised,” Jeffrey said, but got to his feet, anyway.

Gramps stood up too, and they began walking again.

“We should follow the sunset,” Jeffrey suggested.

Follow the sunset.

It wasn’t much, but it was all they had to go on.

And they had each other.